Apparatus for operating upon lateral walls in earth borings



Dec. 8, 1942.

C. E. BANNISTER APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON LATERAL WALLS IN AN EARTH-BORING Filed Jan. 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 67 4: 5504/7/1/6/ ATTORNEY A 1942- c. E. BANNISTER ,304,330 APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON LATERAL WALLS IN AN EARTH-BORING Filed Jan. 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E. flI/M/J// ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1942 APPARATUS FOR ERAL W OFFICE ms mm'rn aonmcs Clyde E. Bannister, Bartlesviile, Okla. Application January 17, 1940, Serial No. 314,198

. 12 Claims.

'This invention relates to apparatus for operating upon a lateral wall in an earth boring, such, for example, as an oil well, as in severing drillpipe, or th like, unscrewing sections of drillpipe or the like, or taking a sample of the formation from a lateral wall of the hole.

Some of the features disclosed in the present application are described and claimed in my Reissue Patent No. 19,397, granted December 18,

1934, as a reissue of my original Patent No.

1,965,563, granted July 10, 1934, and in my copending application Ser. No. 308,978, filed December 13, 1939.

Its chief objects are to provide convenience and economy in the performance of such operations.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a view, chiefly in vertical middle section, of apparatus embodying the invention in its preferred form as applied to the severing of a drill-pipe, well-casing, or the like.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are elevations of parts that are shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sections on lines of Fig. 1 designated by like section-line numerals respec tively.

Fig. 8 is a vertical middle section of the upper portion of a motor that is shown in Fig. 1, inner parts of the same being shown in elevation.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 1, with parts broken away.

Fig. 10 is a section on line Ill-i9 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a section on line ll-ll of Fig. 9.

"Fig. 12 is a section at a position corresponding to the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, but showing an alternative type of cutter'head.

Fig. 13 is a vertical middle section, with inner parts in elevation, of a preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to the unscrewing of sections of drill-pipe, well-casing, or the like.

Fig. 14 is a section on line i4--l4 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a section on line l5-I5 of Fig. 13.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 10 of the drawings, the assembly there shown comprises a cylindrical motor casing III which is screw-threaded at I l to a heavy inertia barrel l2 adapted to sustain by its inertia the reaction of the shaft-oscillating motor.

Screw-threaded at I! upon th upper end of the inertia barrel i2 is an inertia-barrel extension in the form of a cylindrical end-closure member It formedat its closed upper end with a fluid-inlet neck II to which is coupled a hose [3 for supplying fluid to the motor through the space in the inertia barrel 42.

The assembly comprises a pipe-cutter assembly I9 secured upon the lower end of a hollow, oscillating motor shaft 29 which, near the bit, is

journaled in the motor casing It by means of a radial-and-thrust bearing 2! and also is journaled at 22in a bulk-head member 23, secured in the motor casing ID by means such as the cap screws 24, 24, and, the shaft also is journaled at 25 in a bulk-head-and-fluid-abutment member and with two fluid-outlet ports adjacent and 23 (Figs. 1 and 5) which is secured in the motor casing Ill as. by means such as the cap screws 21, 21. A

Slidably fitting within the motor casing l 0 and abutted by shoulders formed on the members 23 and 26 is a removable cylindrical casing-liner 28 of which the inner face (see the right-hand part of Fig. 1) has a sealing fit against an oscillating shaft-impeller 29 which is shown in Fig. 5 as being integral with the motor shaft 29.

The bulk-head-and-fluid-abutment member 26 isformed with an axially long, transversely segmental portion 26 adapted to sustain the reaction of pressure fluid forced between it and the shaft-impeller 29 and the hollow shaft 22, at longitudinally spaced apart positions, is formed with'two fluid-inlet ports 39, 3| closely adjacent and at opposite sides of the shaft-impeller 29, 32, 33, closely at opposite sides of the shaft-impeller 29.

For putting the said inlet ports, and thus also the chambers at the two sides of the shaft-impeller 29, in communication with the pressurefluid-chamber in the inertia barrel l2, and for putting the outlet ports in communication with the fluid-discharge passage, which is through th lower end of the hollow motor shaft 20, a hollow oscillatory slide valve member 34 within the hollow motor shaft 20 and is formed with a supply port 35 adapted to be brought into registry with the shafts port 39, as in Fig. l or Fig. 5 and with a supply port 33 adapted to be brought into registry with the shafts port 3|.

Internally the valve member 34 is provided, at a position below the ports 35, 36, with a transverse partition or bulk-head 31 (Fig. 1) and below the partition 3'! the valve member 34 is formed, at a circumferential position half-way between those of the ports 35, 36, with an exhaust port 33 adapted to be brought into registry with the shafts outlet port 33 when the valves supply port 35 is brought into registry with the shafts inlet port 39, and to be in registry with the shafts outlet port 32 when the valves supply port 39 is in registry with the shafts inlet P rt 3|.

rotatably fits The motor shaft 26 projects a little above the bulk-head-and-fiuidabutment member 26 and upon its projecting end portion is secured by means such as the set-screw 33 a cup-shaped pressure-chamber member 46 provided with a threaded end-closure member 4|.

The valve member 34 extends with a sealing fit through the end closure member 4| and a bulk-head member 42 which is secured in the motor casing It! by means such as the cap-screw 43 and within the pressure-chamber member 46 the valve member 34 is formed with annular shoulders 44, 45 abutting respectively the end of th motor shaft 26 and the closure member 4| to hold the valve member in position axially.

In that region also the valve member 34 is formed with fluid-inlet ports 46, 41 opening on opposite sides of a valve impeller 48 formed integrally with the valve and internally the cupshaped pressure-chamber member 46 is provided with a fluid-abutment to sustain the reaction of fluid actuating the valve-impeller 48, the fluid-abutment 49 being, through the pressure-chamber member 46, rigid with the motor Shaft 20.

The valve-impeller 48, integral with the valve 34, is free to rotate with relation to the motor shaft only through the small arc permitted by stops 50, (Fig. 6) mounted on the lower end wall of the pressure-chamber member 40.

For supplying pressure fluid alternately to the fiuid chambers on the respective sides of the valve impeller (Fig. 6) a hollow pilot-valve member 52 (Figs. 1, 4, 6 and 7) comprises a stop-lug head portion 53 and a cylindrical valve portion 54 which is formed with a port 55 adapted to be brought into registry with the port 46, as in Fig. 6, when the stop-lug head portion 53 of the member 52, in one direction of rotation, is stopped by a stoppin 56 mounted upon the bulk-head 42; and with a port 51 adapted to be brought into registry with the port 41 when the portion 53 of the member 52 is stopped, in the opposite direction of rotation, by the stop-pin 56.

The cup-shaped pressure-chamber member 46 is formed at appropriate positions with vent ports 58, 58 and for opening and closing them at proper times a valve sleeve 66 is mounted upon the member 46 and formed with vent ports 6|, 62 and with shoulders such as the shoulder 63 (Fig. 8) adapted to strike a stop-pin 64 projecting from the bulkhead 26, at proper times.

The fit of the valve 34 within the motor shaft 26, the fit of the pilot valve 52 in the valve 34,

and the fit of the valve-sleeve 60 upon the member 46, are such that all of these parts just mentioned rotate together, by reason of their frictional engagement, except as they are oscillated with relation to one another by the stops described or by pressure fluid acting between the valve-impeller 48 and its fluid-abutment 49.

In the operation of the motor, assuming. the shaft-impeller 28 to have moved clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, to the position in which it is there shown, contact of the stop-lug portion 53 of the member 52 with the stop-pin 56, as in Fig. 7, has brought thepo'rt 55 into registry with the port 46, as in Fig. 6, and pressure fluid passing through those registered ports, with the vent ports 53 and 62 out of registry and the vent ports 58, 6|

in registry (Figs. 6 and 8), has quickly moved the valve-impeller 48' from the stop 5| to the stop 56, and this has put the valve port 35 in registry with the shaft port 36, as in Fig. 5 and the exhaust 33 of the motor shaft. When the valve impeller 48 is thus quickly moved from the stop 5| to the stop 56, Fig. 6, the valve member 34 has carried with it in its rotation, by reason of the frictional fit, the pilot valve 52, and then both of them, by reason of the frictional fits, rotate with the motor shaft until near the end of its counter clockwise movement, at which time contact of the stop-lug 53 with the pin 56 and contact of one of the shoulders 63 (Fig. 8) with the pin 64 reverses the valve setting of the pilot valve 52 and valve sleeve 60 with the result that the main valve 34 is likewise reversed as to port registries, by the forcing of the valve-impeller 48 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 6, into contact with the stop pin 5|, the valve 34 again frictionally carrying with it, clockwise, the pilot valve 52.

The cycle as just described is then repeated continuously so long as motive fluid is forced into the assembly.

As thereversal of registries of inlet ports and the reversal of registries of outlet ports controlling the movement of the valve-impeller 48 are simultaneous, and as the only resistance to oscillation of the valve 34 is a small frictional resistance, and as the shaft-impeller is still being driven in one direction until its direction has been reversed by reverse movement of the valve-impeller 48, and as any unbalance of fluid pressure port 38 of the valve in registry with the outlet port starting the reverse movement of the valve-impeller 48 will inevitably'complete its movement, the motor is without any dead-center position of its parts.

Secured upon the lower end of the motor shaft 20 is an oscillatory pipe-cutter assembly comprising a spider 65 having three forked arms in each of which is pivoted, at 66, a rocker member 61 having two arms each formed with a cutter portion 61, and each of said arms has a forked ex-- tension 61 in which is 'ournaled a roller 68, these rollers being adapted to prevent the cutters from biting too deeply into the pipe 69, as the spider 65 is rapidly oscillated by the oscillating motor shaft 26 upon which it is mounted, the center of gravity of each rocker member 61 being farther from the axis of the assembly than the rocker members pivot 66 so that in each reversal of the direction of the assemblys rotative movement the inertia of the rocker assembly causes it to be relatively rotated on its pivot to bring the leading one of its cutters 61 into contact with'the inner face of the drill pipe 69, resistance of the cutters contact with the pipe then causing the cutter to stay in cutting position and the roller 68 to press more forcibly against the pipe, throughout the rotative movement of the cutter assembly in the reversed direction.

Thus the pipe is quickly severed, and at such position as can readily be controlled according to the depth to which the assembly is lowered in the hole.

Preferably each of the cutters 61 is formed with its sides beveled at an angle, about as shown in Fig. 10, such that after the pipe is severed a slight raising or lowering of the assembly, or repeated slight vertical reciprocation of it, will by cam action of the cut faces of the pipe against the bevel faces of the cutters, cause the rocker members 61 to assume substantially symmetrical positions with relation to the radii through their pivots, to permit the assembly to be withdrawn to the top of the ground, or to be moved to a different elevation for another cutting operation. Preferably the rollers 68 are peripherally beveled at the same angle as that of the bevels of the cutters; for

eithera hose or a line of pipe.

7 I 2,804,880 v flrmand stable oftherollers Preferably thetwosete of pawls'are spaced cutsurfaces. v 1 apartvertiealiyasumcientdistaneetomakeun-w InFig. i2 is shown a cutternecessary verycl'ose accuracy as to the positionheadassemblylnwhichthecuttersareintheform ing of the assembly. I I of ratchet wheels 88*, "a and springs it", 88' are 5 Modifications of the several assemblies are posso mounted on the spider as toibear upon the insible without departure from the scope of the inw eiined faces of the ratchet teeth and resist rotavention as defined in the appended'claims, r tion of the cutter'on its own axis but only with Iclaim: i P such force as to permit the cutter so to rotate in l. The combination of a motor of the shaftcase of excessively deep bltingof the cutter into oscillating type, inertia means for the the pipe, in which case the next tooth of the reaction of the motor. and laterally directed andv cutter. comes into cutting position and the spring laterally urged means coaxial with and oscillated bears upon the next onegbf the inclined faces on by the motor for operating p n alateral wall in the next tooth. I a previously formed earthboring. In Fig. 13 is shown an assembly adapted for 15 2. The combination of a motor of the shaft- I uncoupling lengths oi'drill pipe ll. II which are oscillating type. inertia means for sustaining the joined by a threaded coupling I2, this assembly reaction of the motor, and laterally directed and comprising an oscillatory motor 18 so laterally urged means mounted upon and oscillike that shown in Fig. 1, the oscillatory motor lating with the shaft of the motor and coaxial shaft thereof being shown at 14, and a round- 20 with the motor for operating upon a lateral wall nosed, guiding and inertia. member II being in a previously formed earth boring. mounted on the lower end of-the motor shaft. the 3. The combination of a motor of the shaftinertia member 15 preferably being of about the oscillating type and a laterally acting cutting tool same weight as the motor assembly, so that. if mounted upon the shaft of and coaxial with the it be assumed that the motor were being oper- 5 motor. sted idly, the motor assembly and the inertia 4. The combination of a rotatably mounted member 15 would oscillate with about the same member and a cutting device so mounted thereon amplitude, although this is not at all an indisas to be moved radially outward into cutting enpehsible feature of the invention. gagement with the work solely by its inertia as Secured to the casing f t m t as y capan incident of being accelerated in rotative movescrews 16, I6 is a head I1 through which the moment of said member. tor shaft I4 rotatably extends. The head I1 is 5. The combination of a rotatably mounted formed with a circumferential series of peripheral member and a cutting device so pivotally mounted recesses, 18. 1 1 each 1' whi h is pi at 18, thereon as to be moved radially outward into a toothed pawl 80, the pawls having their centers as cutting engagement with the work solely by its of gravity radially outward of their pivots so that inertia as an incidentof being accelerated in roin counter-clockwise movement of the head with tative movement of said member. the motor casing assembly (Fig. 14) the pawls 88 6. Apparatus for severing a, tubular member will engage and bite into the inner face of the from within, said apparatus comprising a rotatdrill-pipe section I0 and rotate it, but will release 4 ably mounted member adapted to be positioned in it and run free in clockwise movement of the head. the tubular member and a cutting device so Secured to the inertia member 15, as by cap mounted thereon as to be urged radially outscrews 8|, 8|, is a head 82 which is likewise proward, as an incident of rotative movement of said vided with pawls 83, 83, except that these pawls member, by the resistance of its contact with the are adapted to bite into the inner face of the work. drill-pipe section II and rotate it in clockwise 7. Apparatus for severing a tubular member movement of the heady 82, and to run free in from within, said apparatus comprising a motor counter-clockwise movement of the head. of the shaft-oscillating type adapted to be posi- In the operation of this assembly, when it has tioned in the tubular member and a circumferenbeen brought to the proper elevation in the hole 0 tial series of cutting devices having such connecand the motor started, the two sets of pawls 88 tion to the shaft of the motor as to oscillate and 83 engage the respective pipe sections Ill and therewith and to be urged outward in cutting re- H and by their oscillatory movements effect such lation to the work by the oscillation. relative rotary motion of the pipe sections as to 8. The combination of a motor of the shaftunscrew one or.the other of them from the couoscillating type, a set of gripper pawls constrained pling 12, according to which of the two sets of to oscillate with the casing of the motor and conthreads yields the easier, except as that factor structed and arranged to grip the work in one may be off-set by the relative inertias of the pordirection of movement with relation to the work tions of the drill string that are constrained to and a set of gripper pawls constrained to oscilrotat with the pipe sections 18 and II respec late with the shaft oi'the motor and constructed tively and by the relative masses of the motor asand arranged to grip the work in the other direcsembly and of the member 15. Usually it is detion of movement in relation to the work. sired to have the upper pipe section II and the 9. The combination of a motor of the shaftsections above it rotate for the unscrewing operoscillating type 'and oppo i ely faced sets of ation while the lower pipe section H and the secgripper w s m unted on the motor andon its tions below it are not substantially rotated, and Shaft respectively- 1 for this it is desirable that the inertia member 1 The m ina ion of a motor of the shaft- 15 be of appropriateweight, but my invention is illa ing type, oppositely faced sets of. gripper not wholly limited to that feature, nor is it wholly D w m un d on the motor and on its shaft relimited to the unscrewing of pipe as distinguished spect vely. d nert a m ans for res s ing oscilfrom the setting up of the pipe sections in the l n 0f th sh ftcouplings or in to'ol joints. 11. The combination of a motor of the shaft- The motive-iluid-supply' conduit, 18*, can be oscillating type and oppositely faced sets of gripper pawls mounted on the motor and on its of their pivots so that their them to be rotated on their pivoteby rotetive aeoeiera- '2,ao4,sao

shaft re p tively. the p wls beinapivoted grid having their centers of gravitrrsdially' outward gripper pawle mounted on' the motor mum its shaft respectively, the pawls being so constructed and arranged that th' i'r work-engaging portions I are moved outward from the axis of rotation centrii'ugal fo'rce in rotative movement of the qssembly. v e

' CLYDE E, BANNIS'I'ER. 

